Poker Brain Malfunction and the Rule Of 10

• 30.06.2025 11:05 am
• headhunter
• 0 Comments

Brain Malfunction at poker? Well, I know this is not the most chic title, however keep reading you are sure to find the content helpful.

I got broke on a hand; I don't expect sympathy because I don't deserve it anyway.

The situation explained below is really common as well as psychologically thrilling.

Well there exists a technical term used to describe the situation that I will discuss brain fart (well not really a technical term)

I am talking about $2/$5 No-Limit Hold’em. So here am seated with a pile of above a thousand. The chap seated to my right has taken an ugly beat and now tilts like some sort of an unstable pinball machine.

He has actually bought for $300. The big blind is actually tough, solid and the good part, it has me covered.

This is a very tight game with opening raises from 5 and 10 BBs.  The tilt boy makes it $35.

I made a move with over the first line and that was a stupid move after all. Brain fart Reber, I played like a real idiot.

Why did the mistake dominate?

The funny part is that I knew it was not a wise move in the first place and it didn't take a pessimist to see that. (Reason? Keep reading)

I had mixed thoughts about the move (wise call, unwise call).

You could be wondering why the mistake dominated and not my brain that has not been failing me.

Think about this when using your hands.

The flop is ., SB folds, solid player calls. $97 pot

Here's what I do, flop trips, top kicker and back-door flush draw and I get the tiltboy to place a $75 bet and BB checks.

I make a smooth call to lure the BB to call and how can he not. Pot = $322.

The turn at this point is . Then I pick the nut flush draw. I get the BB to check again and the Tilt boy goes all-in for the remaining $190.

Once again I smooth-call and BB this time raises to $500

Why so much?

What!am surprised and I think why so much?

Or maybe the chap is trying to push me out of hand with a powerless ace. I mean if at all he has got a monster why not just make a smooth call.

At this point I do what is referred to as "insta all-in" impressive wave of the hands.

Just before I make the supposed move a thought at the back of my mind warns me. Man you got to be joking you are a sucker!

True to the words. He does call and displays pocket fives for me to see. As if that  is not enough I hit the flush

The Tilt boy throws in pocket queens FWIW (even those channeling Phil Hellmuth could do with hand remember)

Where it went south

Now le us analyze that hand and deduce where it went wrong. After that we look at brain farts psychology.

The very  first mistake was definitely a smooth call prior to the flop. Well, not so grave, however raising is better.

Anything the tilt boy wants, he can have it. Am his favorite and need to get out of his sight

Throwing in any of the blinds makes things complicated. $100 raise would do-rid the blinds as well as get Tilt boy pot-committed.

The other blunder was consider all possible not to mention reasonable holdings of the BB

Even though I had a chance to throw in all my chips, I could at least have engaged my brain.

The Brain Fart's Hallmark

So what is the catch in such cases? You need to note that key feature is speed.

It's called the brain farts hallmark. Mostly common in really fast calls and sudden all-in moves

They do not have a cause really. More often than not they are huge mistakes.

These do not only cost you several BBs, but they also get you stacked

They could be said to be psychologically based (habit hierarchies)

As it is, everybody has a certain way of reacting to an action. These usually form what is referred to as a hierarchy. There are those that occur mostly and those others that are not so frequent.

Habit Hierarchies run top down

The most frequent ones are those that were learned first and most practiced. The others are just in the brain lurking.

Many of the poker players make use of automatic pilot. Folding, calling and raising in a typical style.

Mostly we go with options from the top of the formed habits.

For many situations, that could be viable. Making a call of a late position raise with A-K he moment there are just 2 poker players to react and are not in position. This is undoubtedly at the top of the hierarchy of every player.

Nonetheless, a level down reraises in order to get some cash in the pot and raising again to detach an opponent off the rails.

Such play do no often work in their favor

Here's where the stress comes in

The all-in move what about it?

More often than not when under stress, we are likely to go with the initial impulse that is the top in the list of our hierarchy.

We obviously do not go deeper than the level of the surface.

Now that is exactly what happened at this point. Was really astonished and stressed too by the raise he made and thus went with the initial impulse without thinking twice.

However, stress is really called for in poker. Have a look at my two recent columns

The rule of 10

What is the problem and how do you fix it?

Well, this is what I suggest. The rule of 10. In any situation that demands a call for bet, raise or even a call greater than tem times the big blind, it would be wise to stop, count to 10

You do not have to think, you just need to count.

This helps in calming your immediate impulse and it lets you ponder over your options.

Well, getting this rule will not be so easy obviously for the reason that this is new and you have to adopt the same to have it at the top of your hierarchy.

As a matter of fact, you are likely to get yourself in a situation where might just think about "all-in"